Heavily Armed Gunmen Massacre 12 at Paris Satirical Magazine
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Heavily armed men shouting "Allahu akbar" stormed the Paris headquarters of a satirical weekly on Wednesday, killing 12 people in an attack that brought more than 100,000 protesters onto streets across France.
The assault on the Charlie Hebdo headquarters, the worst attack in France in decades, sparked a massive manhunt as the two gunmen in black commando gear escaped, executing a wounded police officer with a shot to the head.
The men remained on the run late Wednesday, with few clues on their whereabouts and parts of the French capital in lockdown.
The attack sparked global outrage and demonstrations of solidarity in several cities across Europe.
Many protesters in France carried banners reading: "I am Charlie" and the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie was trending worldwide including in Arabic.
French President Francois Hollande called the attack "an act of exceptional barbarity" and "undoubtedly a terrorist attack."
Charlie Hebdo gained notoriety in February 2006 when it reprinted cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that had originally appeared in Danish daily Jyllands-Posten, causing fury across the Muslim world.
The killers screamed "we have avenged the prophet, we have killed Charlie Hebdo" according to prosecutors.
The drama began in broad daylight in a quiet Paris street when the masked gunmen stormed into the weekly's offices as the journalists were in an editorial meeting, first shooting a receptionist.
They picked off eight journalists, including some of France's best-known cartoonists, a security guard and a visitor. One person survived by hiding under a table.
Chilling amateur video footage shot after the carnage then showed them outside, running toward a wounded policeman as he lay on the pavement.
One attacker says "you wanted to kill me?" before shooting the officer execution style.
Large numbers of police and ambulances rushed to the scene and shocked residents spilled into the streets. Reporters saw bullet-riddled windows and people being carried out on stretchers.
Prosecutors said 11 people were also injured in the attack, with four in critical condition.
One man who witnessed the attack described a scene like "in a movie."
"I saw them leaving and shooting. They were wearing masks. These guys were serious," said the man who declined to give his name. "At first I thought it was special forces chasing drug traffickers or something."
Authorities said their cold and calculating manner suggested they had been well-trained.
An employee at a nearby daycare center said he was walking with children when panic erupted.
"People leaned out of the window and yelled at me to get off the pavement," he said.
"We got out of there very fast," said Jean-Paul Chevalier, 56. "People were panicking. I heard shooting."
French authorities placed the Paris region on its highest alert level and beefed up security with soldiers deployed at major transport hubs.
The attack took place at a time of heightened fears in France and other European capitals over fallout from the wars in Iraq and Syria, where hundreds of European citizens have gone to fight alongside the radical Islamic State group.
Some shoppers flocking to the first day of the winter sales voiced the fears of a nation: "Have we got them yet or are they still at large? Do you think they could come here?"
Jitters were also felt in other capitals, with a media group's office in Madrid evacuated later in the day after a suspicious package was sent there.
U.S. President Barack Obama led the global condemnation of what he called the "cowardly, evil" assault.
British Prime Minister David Cameron called it "sickening", German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the attack was "despicable" and Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as the Arab League condemned the violence.
Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam's holiest sites, condemned "this cowardly terrorist attack which is incompatible with Islam."
The imam of Drancy mosque in the northern suburbs of Paris, Hassen Chalghoumi, visited the scene, calling the shooters "barbarians, they lost their soul, sold their soul to hell."
"They want terror, they want fear. We must not give in, we must all be strong. I hope the French will come out in solidarity and not against the Muslim minority in Europe."
The attacks revived fears of a return to the dark days of the 1980s and 1990s when France, which is home to Europe's largest Muslim population, was hit by a wave of extremist violence.
In 1995, a bomb in a commuter train blamed on Algerian extremists exploded at the Saint Michel metro station in Paris, killing eight and wounding 119.
Al-Qaida inspired gunman Mohamed Merah killed seven people in and around the southern city of Toulouse in 2012. His victims included three French soldiers and four Jews -- three children and a rabbi.
Hollande called for "national unity", adding that "several terrorist attacks had been foiled in recent weeks."
He called for a day of national mourning on Thursday and said flags would fly at half-mast.
Charlie Hebdo's offices were fire-bombed in November 2011 when it published a cartoon of Mohammed under the title "Sharia Hebdo."
Despite being taken to court under anti-racism laws, the weekly continued to publish controversial cartoons of the Muslim prophet.
In September 2012, Charlie Hebdo published cartoons of a naked Mohammed as violent protests were taking place in several countries over a low-budget film, titled "Innocence of Muslims", which was made in the United States and insulted the prophet.
Editor-in-chief Stephane Charbonnier, known as Charb and who had lived under police protection after receiving death threats, was among the victims.
Others included Jean Cabut, known across France as Cabu; Georges Wolinski; and Bernard Verlhac, better known as Tignous.
The publication's website went down after the attack before coming back on line with the single image of the words "I am Charlie."
The attack took place on the day the latest edition of Charlie Hebdo was published, featuring controversial author French Michel Houellebecq, whose latest book "Soumission", or "Submission," imagines a France in the near future that is ruled by an Islamic government.
07 January 2015, 14:01
126
it is not, as a matter of fact. this is the work of the psycho murderers that the west has been funding, training and arming to destroy the middle east.
07 January 2015, 14:33
69
oh _mowaten_ you scary me sometimes!!!! I was thinking the same thing, exactly the same thing. We are so so similar it is not even funny anymore. We are both Shia and extremists; We both pretend to be secular and non-prejudicial; We both are malignant narcissists; We both lie and distort and last but not least; We both are paid to post.
_mowaten_, do you think people might think we are the same poster? I hope not
07 January 2015, 16:57
115
"We both lie and distort and last but not least; We both are paid to post. "
speak for yourself, paid troll
07 January 2015, 19:08
84
seeing the videos and pictures of the attack, i no longer think it is some fanatics anymore... too professional, some could say russian, syrian services, others could say israeli or american, or others, who knows... but having seen a lot of videos of fighting in iraq and syria, nobody is going to make me believe radical amateurs can pull such a neat operation.
see here for instance the bullet impacts on the police car, all but one bullets are perfectly grouped on driver and passenger, and they were using AK47 (not the most precise weapons AT ALL)
http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54ad2547dd08954f4d8b4601-1024-768/charlie-hebdo-4.jpg
whoever did this they were highly trained professionals.
07 January 2015, 19:24
83
i dont know southern, i'm skeptical about this... i've seen a lot of videos of fighting in syria, the rebels there mainly "spray and pray" they have the worst aiming skills ever... even their snipers need 10 rounds to touch a target... i think these were really pros, some commandos or special services of some sort. but i guess we will never know for sure
07 January 2015, 19:43
21
Thank you @Mystic for your feedback. Now we know better and we should have listened to you, mowaten, and southern.
07 January 2015, 20:06
33
Mowaten, there are tens of thousands of Salafi fighters in Syria, of course some are better at aiming than others.
07 January 2015, 23:04
21
yes megahabib.. but look at this video when the policeman is executed.. see how coldly professional the one who shot him is. then look at a thousand videos from syria and tell me if you see any similarity in the behavior..
as i said i dont know, and we probably will never know for sure, but something is definitely different in this attacks.
08 January 2015, 02:56
33
They are carrying out their jihadist duty just like your hizbollaat terrorists.
08 January 2015, 19:20
10
Dear France, Karma hits back. You supported these takfiris in Libya and Syria to begin with. Now they hit you, you couldn't control your dogs of war.
07 January 2015, 14:44
55
Kanaadian - I assume that you think that this is the true Islam!!! If yes, you are nothing less than a bigot.
07 January 2015, 19:31
43
Is it christianity to colonialize, slaughter, rape, shoot, stab and what not? Because christians did that in higher numbers than Muslims. How many Muslims have been killed by the french for the past 100 years? Over a million perhaps? And why is it ok to mock Islam over and over but not other religions? All religions have fanatics that will attack someone who publicly mocks their religion like this. Yet somehow when Muslims do it, it's worse than if others do it and Islam and Muslims as a whole has to be blamed by the hypocrite ignorants.
07 January 2015, 22:19
13
FT and kanaan, our good friend hanin wants an equal amount of death to the christians. 1 million is ok hanin? Tell your terrorist buddies to try harder.
07 January 2015, 14:16
95
RIP all innocent victims
and hope france wake up and revise they strategies cause they fed and armed a monster
and hope they send now the right weapons to the Lebanese army within weeks not years
07 January 2015, 14:29
61
It's this same retarded bloodthirsty self-righteous jihadi ideology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQl402Eaeco
07 January 2015, 14:48
42
FT - with another bigoted comment!!! A statement that fascists in Europe would find at home.
07 January 2015, 14:56
64
Another delusional m8 supporter trying so hard to support their mass murderer in Arsal and forgetting the atrocious murders of his favorite militia.
07 January 2015, 18:52
75
most the dead in syria are SAA soldiers, then comes rebels & takfiris, then civilians from both sides. so it's easy to see the biggest killers are the western-funded&armed terrorists.
12 dead in france today, that's the hourly toll in syria for the last 3 years. maybe hollande will rethink his policy of supporting "moderated terrorists"?
07 January 2015, 14:57
69
southern, you throw accusations left and right thinking you know something. The other day you made accusations about the Istanbul suicide bomber and it turned out to be a Marxist group.
07 January 2015, 14:57
36
May you be enjoying peace and tranquility in your final resting place dear flamethrower.... RIP
07 January 2015, 15:00
36
Agree 100 percent. I would also add that the lack of opportunity facing many in the Muslim communities in France is also a contributor to the spread of poisonous ideologies among youth.
07 January 2015, 15:04
55
you mean blowing up embassies and liquor stores in the 1980s, but those were thought in schools in Iran as your daddy about them
07 January 2015, 16:16
00
nice to meet you "another terrorist to blow himself up" how's your facilitator and refreshments caddy hassan doing still in hiding where the sun don't shine?
07 January 2015, 15:18
45
schools in france are gratis for all, all kids and youth have the same opportunity
and france is a secular country , who is putting barriers in front of youth is religion
god bless democracy and secularism
07 January 2015, 15:33
55
The race to extremism that started in the late 70s between Wahhabism and Khomeinism bears its bloody fruits today.
National extremism led to fascism and nazism and the death of 50m people. I hope that Islamic extremism won't lead to this too.
07 January 2015, 15:45
44
how about the people you are in bed with?
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/157514
07 January 2015, 15:56
43
I am not the one in bed with extremists and attacking other extremists. So think about it for a second and tell me who is robbing Lebanon of all hope and having a future.
07 January 2015, 16:01
52
If instead of being disgusted, anyone thought deep inside:"this shows them not mock our Prophet", then you should immediately take an appointment with a psychologist and be very ashamed of yourself. You are the reason these crimes happen.
07 January 2015, 16:04
43
if you are not angry then you must one pathetic human being since you are incapable of holding a conversation without being rude, condescending and outright belligerent. Now, I have never ever said anything in my life that was anti-shia. Every time I accuse HA of anything, you claim it to be anti Shia, simply because you are simple minded enough to believe that HA is everything that is shia on this planet. As if there are shia who are not part of this terrorist organization you are in bed with. As if there are not shia who publicly support this terrorist organization called HA out of fear or necessity. I think it is pretty clear who the idiot is.
07 January 2015, 16:09
42
Said FT the great scholar. After all your ideology comes from the greatest thinker of all: Michel Aoun.
As a good hippy would say, peace and love FT man, don't be angry and bitter.
But maybe the fanatic in you would understand this language: "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you" (Matthew 5:44)
07 January 2015, 16:09
51
unlike you flamer- I have never ever defended, supported, or received anything that resembles a benefit from Saudi Arabia. However, if it makes you feel better about yourself to label me as such then go right ahead. the truth is, you constantly defend one set of terrorist and you justify it by claiming that people who appose you are supporting apposing terrorists. Weak minded!
07 January 2015, 16:27
31
conversation looks outright silly now that flamer's comments have been removed. seriously naharnet mods, no one cares if flamer calls me an idiot, I certainly don't. freedom of speech is something that is a foreign concept to Lebanese people and yet we stand here and look down on the rest of the world as if we are better than everyone else.
07 January 2015, 15:38
53
all countries that are ruled by a holy book are a recipe for disaster
the rule of law should govern a country
god bless democracy and secularisme and the rule of law
07 January 2015, 15:40
22
those who killed french journalists are serving the same disgusting purpose, than those who killed samir kassir and gibran tueni: killing freedom of speech
07 January 2015, 15:41
25
When leftist terrorists like Georges Abdallah were blowing up civilian places in Paris did those leftists also belong to the same school being taught in France, England or Arsal (Lebanon).
How about when the Iranian terrorist ISlamic Revolution Party in Lebanon blew up places in Argentina, Bulgaria etc and plotted to blow up places in Egypt and Thailand etc did those divine terrorists also belong to the same school being taught in France, England or Arsal (Lebanon).
07 January 2015, 15:43
56
Latin southern. are these the teachings you are referring to?
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/157514
07 January 2015, 17:12
55
HA is a terrorist organization that planted bombs in Lebanon and killed Lebanese politicians and innocent Lebanese bystanders. They are what their actions says they are. Terrorists!
07 January 2015, 17:33
63
Brainwashed believe that "two car salesmen settle their dispute by playing hot potato with a bomb". Brainwashed believe that 5 people using 5 different cell phones who follow an official for over 3 months and then the official is blown up is "coincidence" or "planted evidence". I am willing to bet that you are 14 or 15 years old.
07 January 2015, 19:36
55
If you disagree with them they label you as an ISIL or Nusra supporter. Bunch of brainwashed drug dealers HizbCocaine.
08 January 2015, 10:35
20
yes farris those crazy drug dealers also call you nusra/da3esh supporters when you cheer for their bombings and attacks! how crazy is that!?
07 January 2015, 15:56
22
CONDEMNATION without actions is not enough. This barbaric act should be counter acted by immidiate mobilization of all moderate muslims to eradicate such terrorists, their sources of ideas, funding, support apparatus and organizations thy hide under.
07 January 2015, 16:10
25
'in a world where everybody cheats, the righteous is seen as the outlaw'- by andre flamethrower gide
07 January 2015, 16:14
22
Tolerance is the mark of civilization. Intolerance is barbarism.
You don't fight intotlerance and extremism with intolterance and extremism but with good police work and a robust security infrastructure.
This is why Western societies are great and this is why our part of the world is hopeless.
07 January 2015, 16:15
31
can you enlighten us to a country or a government that you agree with.
07 January 2015, 16:31
31
Perfect? No! we are human beings and will never be perfect or get anywhere near that. We can however, work with a system the errs on the side of caution and gives me and my family the best opportunity to live a healthy and fair life. that does not make me a sheep. That makes me a logical person. Otherwise, your are nothing more than a wiener who lives to complain. My opinion is the west has the best system currently.
08 January 2015, 00:27
11
wow big john. You have some serious issues. i truly hope you are currently living in Scandinavia and not in a western country.
07 January 2015, 16:25
35
true to certain extent. But you and those of your ilk also refer to all innocent women and children killed by Assad as collateral damage.
07 January 2015, 16:31
01
I hope blablablabla is not involved in this terrorist attack.
07 January 2015, 17:01
42
Bigjohn, this is a heinous crime don't try to justify it or relativising it.
Moreover, the consequence of such a crime on the Palestinian cause are disastrous.
On 3 December 2014, "the French parliament convened to discuss a motion on the recognition of the State of Palestine by France. On December 2, it voted "yes" with 339 to 151 votes in favour of a symbolic motion to recognise Palestine as a state," according to news sources.
On 7 January 2014, this happens.
This is a heinous crime with disastrous consequences on citizens or residents who happen to be Muslims or Arabs in France, Europe and the West in general.
This is a blow for the Palestinian cause that was gaining momentum in Europe and the UN.
07 January 2015, 17:14
42
it is about time the french people vote for Le Pen... cleansing times are coming
07 January 2015, 17:54
32
Salman Rushdie, who has been condemned to death in a fatwa for his writing, tweeted the following today:
"Religion, a medieval form of unreason, when combined with modern weaponry becomes a real threat to our freedoms. This religious totalitarianism has caused a deadly mutation in the heart of Islam and we see the tragic consequences in Paris today.
I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as we all must, to defend the art of satire, which has always been a force for liberty and against tyranny, dishonesty and stupidity.
‘Respect for religion’ has become a code phrase meaning ‘fear of religion’. Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect."
08 January 2015, 01:12
01
Japan and Germany were destroyed after the 2nd world war and their people rebuild them into the most formidable economies and societies.
Our societies were better off than both them and better of than most Asian countries. Look at us now.
We can blame the West, Zionism, spies, etc. but the truth is that hate does not build countries.
Hate has been used by wicked, corrupt and egotistic men to seize power and fill their and their relatives pockets.
07 January 2015, 18:01
21
John Kerry
celui qui est contre la liberte d expression est un extremist
god bless democracy and freedom of expression
07 January 2015, 19:32
00
Islam need it's own Martin Luther and reformation movement to move it away from the hate filled speech of death, killing, blood and so called martyrdom and jehad preached by some imams, sheikhs, ayatollahs, hajjs, muftis, mullahs self appointed khalifs and fakihs nothing else will save it.
07 January 2015, 21:52
00
Maybe they were trained in Bosnia by Hezbollah when they were fighting along side Al Qaeda and other Islamist takfiri terrorist groups killing Christian Orthodox Serbs. Syria came later perhaps.
07 January 2015, 21:20
00
great website flamet, you should read what they have to say about hezballah and it's network
07 January 2015, 22:23
22
france needs to get rid of these rodents (as do other euro nations) before the streets of paris and other capitals look like places found in the islamic world.
08 January 2015, 01:28
11
Fanaticism justifies the killing of more than 56,000 civilians in Syria.
Extremism and hate justify a bloody dictatorship killing of its own population.
Sectarian extremism is exactly like zionism. You can be an atheist and a zionist.
You can be an atheist and a khomeinist, as in bigjohn's case, and justify murder, assassination, fatwas that justify the killing of authors, etc.
Extremism is the road to failed states, failed societies and failed cultures.
08 January 2015, 05:40
11
bigjohn 13 hours ago
When "Muslims" kill 10 westerners it is top story all over the world (especially in the West). When the White Man (persons of European heritage) invades, destroys, and kill tens of thousands of innocent men, women, and children...it is collateral damage.
Big John, you have a point that Western media is biased when covering attacks. But there are people in the West who were condemning Israel for its attacks on Gaza (celebrities like Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem said it was genocide). Even though it's a small minority of people, there are people in the West who condemn heinous attacks regardless of who's committing them.
08 January 2015, 05:42
00
People. Refresh your memory, its all about French position toward Russia.
Germany and France has strong position against sanctions and US+ British influence in Europe and Middle East, and now are paying the cost.
Is it a co-accident that it happened today. January 07.? Russian Orthodox Christmas day. Surprise. The payers are Middle East regardless, but it has double values mission, damage internal multicultural values, which is sensitive subject for France and Germany and change the course of foreign policy to be more aggressive, against Muslims, same as back in 19centure in Algeria. As the result, follow US agenda....
08 January 2015, 09:49
20
Radical Islam, whether Shi'a or Sunni, it's the same garbage...do me a favor HA supporters based in Iran: you're no better than this trash so stop acting like you're perfect, it's a joke.
08 January 2015, 10:02
21
And you were allowed to enter Lebanon from Iran, enough with the hypocrisy.
08 January 2015, 10:05
02
That is such an ignorant view Flamey. So because the government "allows" them to come from Syria, that it gives them the right to kill innocent people??? It's like you're justifying the killings. These are innocent people who were killed.
08 January 2015, 13:49
00
Hooray for QAWMIbigJOHN for managing to go on more useless RANTS without EVER posting anything about any the of the crime the Syrian regime is COMMItting daily on the Syrian people, maybe it's because those are not WESTERN LIVES.
